Silent Dancing (Windwalker Chronicles 6.1)
by LemurKat
Summary: Windkin is venturing out alone when he gets caught in a storm. And his survival lies in the hands of a woman, the likes of which he has never seen before.
1. Default Chapter Title

_And so begins the main chronicles. This is the bulk of the story, so I'll give you some more history, so to speak._

Windkin is a Wolfrider/Glider and (c) Wendy and Richard Pini, I have merely borrowed him for this story, without permission, so please don't sue! I have no money! He has no wings, but can fly by magic.

Skydancer is mine, she is one of Ravendark's Descendents and the only surviving one of his Holt (bar one, but that will be explained later!)

# Silent Dancer part 1

Windkin stared in silence over the great desert waste, perched as he was on the bridge of destiny. His thoughts were ones of great turmoil, he felt so alone. He crouched one the bridge, enjoying the feel of wind pulling on his long brown hair. This was the closest he could get to her, his dear Ahdri, barricaded away forever amongst the rocks. The feeling of solitude surrounded him, holding him in its comforting embrace. Alone, so alone, was it always doomed to be this way for him? His parents, Scouter and Dewshine, did not understand his need to be alone, alone with the wind, even he could not fathom it fully. Maybe it was because he was so different, separate from the rest of the village. He rose his head and stared at the glowing golden-red horizon, watching the sun sink into oblivion and feeling like doing so himself. The red of the sunset, so like blood, so like the blood of his kin. He sighed deeply, struck by the feeling of melancholy. The gentle breeze tugged more incessantly, and he was suddenly struck by the desire to fly, to fly free and far, escape it all, if only for a while. There was a certain happiness, a certain escape, in being one with the wind. Slowly Windkin drew himself to his feet, admiring the view as dusk drenched the land in a golden hue. Shaking the depression from himself, as though it were nothing more than the gentle touch of summer's rain, he threw himself from the bridge, feeling the wind wrap itself around him, pushing him upwards and onwards, towards the heavens. How nice it would be to just go where the wind pushed him, onwards to eternity or beyond. Why not? There was nothing to remain here for anyway, except the nothingness of the wrapstuff. Windkin smile grimly to himself. He would seek out, beyond the desert, to the distant mountains. He would leave on the morrow, before the scolding sun had taken over the sky. He would join with the wind, and travel with it on its lengthy journey. The wind, the feeling of freedom washed the remaining stain of melancholy from him, returning the now of wolf-thought. He must live for the present, for who knew where the future would take him? Where the wind would drag and toss him like discarded leaves.

The sun rose languidly, bathing the world in a gentle golden hue. Its gentle touch bathed the young glider, already a long way from his home village, clutching the wings he had created to cease the energy expended on the long journey. The wind was naught but a gentle breeze, tugging him southward with it, and he was happy to go where it lead, and muse in his thoughts. He watched the sand stretch out endlessly before him, golden in the dawn-light, the killing sands appeared serene, almost peaceful. Occasionally the littered bones of some poor animal dead from exhaustion would catch his attention, betraying the tranquility. The sun rode higher in the sky, no longer bathing all in a gentle light, but in a seering burn. Windkin would have to halt in his gliding, perching on a rocky outcrop, to drink from the small water flask he carried with him. It was well into mid afternoon when the winds heightened, sending small, but coarse, grains of sand rushing along the ground, some of which gained enough altitude to scrape his tanned skin. He tried to soar above the winds, but the crosswinds continually swept him downwards, towards the cutting sand, which now whirled in little dust devils, small but induitably painful. Grains of sand blew into his eyes, and snuck insidiously into his nose, mouth and ears, painful, sharp. Distracted as he was, he failed to concentrate properly and accidently let the right hand wingflap go. Immediately the wind seized it in her grasp, dragging it bouncing and spinning across the ground. Unbalanced as he now was, poor Windkin too was sent spiralling earthward. The whole world was a chaotic combination of spiralling sand, the sky becoming the ground, becoming the sky again and dizzying as he really did join with the wind on her merry dance.

Finally the wind decided to finish her waltz with the poor battered glider, depositing him in a pitiful state in a sand dune, only semi-conscious. She went about her business, calmly returning to a serene state. Windkin muttered and spat out a mouthful of sand, surprised to find himself still alive, still whole, to a point. His hair, his clothing, or what was left of it, all was filled with coarse, biting sand. Dragging himself into a half-crouch, half-sit, he surveyed his position, wiping the dust from his watering eyes. His hair dripped with sweat, making him wonder just how long he had lain face down in the sand. His throat burned with dryness and his skin, although tanned from years in the Sun Village, felt as if it were on fire, and slick with sweat. He fumbled for his water flask and was devastated when he realised it was gone, gone! The wind, his tyrannic dancer, had stolen it from his clasp. He had lost his wings too, not that they were his concern at this present point in time. His surroundings were bland, small sand-dunes, a few rocky outcrops, sunbaked raising their browned bodies heavenwards, in prayer to the sun. He could be anywhere, anywhere in the vast and deadly desert. As he stumbled to his feet, the sand burning through the thin boots he wore, he cursed himself for his arrogance. So centred was he on the thoughts of flying and being totally free, being superior in that way to his fellow villagers, that he had forgotten his weaknesses. He had forgotten the tempremental nature of his silent dancer. Using the limits of his energy, he soared into the air, seeking at least to get his feet from the seering sands. He was sore, his muscles ached and he was sure he must be covered in bruises, his only hope was that he would reach some kind of shelter before he was reduced to bones like those of the fallen he had watched pass by. He could see little through the heat haze, save for rocky outcrops, and he had not the strength to glide high enough for a clear view of the desert that stretched out below him. He felt as if he had been gliding forever, every muscle ached and he could feel the blood pulsing through his brain. In a state of exhaustion he found himself unable to keep airborne, and slowly spiralled downward into the sand. As he dragged his aching body through the burning grains, his vision flitted in strange and disturbing ways, he fancied he could see sunlight shining off water somewhere in the distance, but is was probably just the heat haze, after all, at the moment a small bipedal rat in a cloak was dancing a waltz on the end of his nose. As he gazed heavenwards, he frightening shape of a large scavenging bird circling above him. Maybe it was a hallucination, it did not matter. So this was how he was to die then, alone, in the burning wastes, not even a hero's death, but that of a fool.

*

For the second time in the same day, Windkin was surprised to find himself still alive, if somewhat battered and exhausted beyond measure. He was lying under something cold, wet even, a relief to his burning skin. And someone was trying to force something into his mouth, something cold. He opened his mouth willingly, wincing slightly at the gentle touch of water against the dried skin. He was just starting to enjoy it, luxuriating in the taste, when it was taken away from him. Irritated, he pried open his eyes, wincing at the pain of his scorched eyelids. A strange elven woman sat beside him. 

**You cannot drink it all yet** The sending was clear, even to his addled mind.

"Why not," he tried to reply, but his tongue seemed swollen and he sent it instead. A small smile played on her delicate lips. Her skin was dark, as dark as a Sun Villagers, but she was not familiar to him. She was strangely exotic.

**It will pain you more, could make you ill** Was her somewhat unsatisfactory reply. She ran one hand down his cheek. **And who are you, pale one?**

**I am Windkin** He was having trouble sending, such was his state. **Who are you? Where am I?** 

She chuckled again, her laughter like a gentle breeze. **They call me Skydancer** She replied. **And you are near my home, indeed if you had just tried a little harder you would have got there all by youself.** 

"Skydancer?" He whispered, puzzled, her name was not disimilar to his. He forced his eyes to focus properly. She was a petite elven female, certainly too delicate to be out here alone. Despite her brown skin, dark as that of the Sunfolk, her hair was a mixture of copper-red and silver strands, appearing to hang to her waist. That was not the most unusual thing about her however, for her arms were twisted into feathered wings! Somehow, with those twisted arms she helped the exhausted elf to his feet and somehow he managed to walk to her oasis, leaning on her petite frame for support. It amazed him how such a delicate elf could bear the weight of him leaning on her shoulder, yet she managed. In his current state he was having difficultly focusing, begining to wonder if he might have imagined those wings. He could only hope the vulturine shapes that circled above the two were hallucinations however! The two vultures were huge, circling the air above them silently, waiting, watching. Suddenly the two of them were in the shade, the shade of some stunted but otherwise apparently healthy trees. Skydancer supported him through these trees, dragging him away from the glistening waters of a tiny lake, which he eagerly struggled for.

**No!** She scolded him mentally, as though he were little more than a kit. **If I allow you to drink as you like, you will drink my lake dry and your stomach will burst!** He didn't know if she were joking and had not the strength to eetort. Small birds, finches and brightly coloured hookbills, twittered and squawked in the stumpy trees, and drank from the lake. Windkin envied them, even the mere scent of the water was making him unbearably thirsty. As if sensing this Skydancer pushed a leather waterskin into his hand.

**You may drink this - but slowly.** She cautioned him. He was only too happy to oblige, drinking down all that was left of the life-giving liquid. There was unfortunately not enough for his parched throat.

**Where are your pack?** He asked, recieving a somewhat puzzled look 

**Pack? Oh, you mean flock. These are my people, there is noone else.** She motioned at the birds that surrounded her. As if on cue a multi-coloured hookbill with beautiful plumage and a very long gaudy tail landed on her shoulder. It squawked at him, seemingly in disdain. The vulture, a huge white and brown creature with a black goatee landed a few feet away and waddled over to the two of them. Windkin shuddered in fear, although seeing such a huge bird walk was vaguely comical. It was easily big enough to be dangerous, its great hooked bill was huge. The parrot fluttered away. Skydancer started to make a strange clucking noise, and the vulture replied, bobbing its head up and down in a very comical fashion. Windkin's fear of the great bird immediately diminished and he barely held back his laughter. As if sensing this, Skydancer helped her elven companion to sit down and crouched down to the level of the vulture. She made that strange grating clucking noise again, and the great bird suddenly lunged at her. Afraid his new, and obviously fey, companion was about to meet with harm, Windkin tried to stand up and help her. His legs would not support him and he fell backwards. **Stay.** The young elf woman almost screamed in his mind, as she charged to meet the lunging bird. The two collided in a collision of feathers, and once more Windkin was tempted to intervene. Until he remembered that he had seen his wolf-rider kin play in such a way with their wolves. Perhaps that was what she was doing? His suspiscions were confirmed in a few seconds when the wrestling ceased. The big white vulture lay pinned beneath the petite elf woman. She grinned broadly, and stood up, dusting herself off. The vulture scrambled clumsily to its feet and preened its breast, trying to regain its composure. At that Windkin had to laugh. Skydancer joined him, and the vulture stalked off sulkily, its very actions increasing the merriment.

*

The oasis was small, almost buried between two rocky outcrops, that protected it from the elements, particularly the wind. The lake sat tranquilly in the midst of it, surrounded by a field of grass, around it the stunted trees rose like silent sentinels. Windkin and Skydancer sat beside the lake, sheltered from the hot midday sun by the overhead canopy. Around them the small birds had fallen silent, as the bearded vultures enjoyed a rather elf-drenching bath. Both birds stood almost as tall as an elf.

**So you live here all alone? How can you stand it?** Windkin asked. He was well used to sending now, the bird-elf did not appear to speak at all, the only noises she made were those clucking chirps. She nodded her delicate head, sending her multi-hued tresses waving. She turned her violet eyes to meet Windkin's brown ones. 

**I am not alone, just without elfkind, I am surrounded by kin, just look at Shadow and Wraith.** She motioned to the two vultures, the larger of which, Shadow, was standing knee deep in the water, using her mighty hooked beak to spray water all over the smaller male. A fair bit of the water was reaching the two elves, who were trying to eat a meal of ravvit meat. The ravvits bred in this tiny area, making short work of the grass, and providing an ideal food source for the elf. The vultures went further afar, they liked their meat aging, were particularly fond of bones. The glider elf could not understand her himself, how could one live in total solitude permanently, and enjoy it? He did like to be alone at times, but to live without any other elven company, it would surely drive him mad! He had been here for two days now and the winged elf had little to say about herself, but had asked many questions of him. Questions, questions, so many questions! She seemed intensely curiousity on the aspects of the outer world, and it appeared she had travelled little further than her peaceful oasis, venturing farther only to hunt larger prey. Her nest, as she called it, was a tiny den made from branches and covered in layers of leaves and twigs. 

**What became of your people?** He asked her. Her reply was brief - though long-winded for her, and tragic.

**My people are dead,** she replied solemnly, staring away from him, trying to avoid letting him see the tears welling in her eyes. **On the cliffs we used to live, until those tall roundears found us and shot many of my kin down with arrows. Only four of us escaped into the burning waste, finding this wellspring. We set up a camp here, on the shores of this lake, and Sentinel, our tree-healer, grew these plants from seeds he always carried with him.** She had paused then, glancing at the stunted trees. **He died the next summer, when he got injured out in the wastes and could not seek shelter. My brother, Cloudchaser, died soon after our arrival here, from injuries incurred and only five springs ago, the only remaining of my kin disappeared one day, I never found her body, did not wish to look, those sands, those sands kill!** Windkin put a comforting arm around her, and she lay her head on his shoulder. Such was the way of human kind and the harsh elements, all things an elf must face, or die in the process. It did puzzle him where the winged elves had come from originally, they were wolf-rider size, but seemed to have no wolf-blood, as far as he could fathom, Skydancer must be at least several thousand years old, and looked little older than many of his sun-villager friends. She had lived relatively near the Sun Village for so long, why had they never seen her before? Perhaps the wind had carried him further on her merry dance than he had thought. The Sun folk wandered little anyway. He watched as she picked up a bone knife and a chunk of bone and began to carve it. Despite her disfigured arms, she seemed not to have lost maual dexterity, unlike his sire They sat peacefully by the lake-side until the sun began to set, drenching the world in a golden red hue.

**We must go inside now.** She sent softly, then released a shrill screech that sounded so alike that of the birds. Wraith spiralled down to land in the tree beside her, the branches bending under his weight. He screeched in reply. Windkin sighed, so the vultures were to join them again, as if the tiny nest was not crowded enough already. Perhaps it would be better to sleep outside, but he knew the cold desert nights would kill as surely as the baking desert days. Sleep was hard to come by, with the great white birds clambering about, accidently placing one enormous, deadly talon on a particularly delicate part of his anatomy as they tried to get themselves comfortable. He looked over at the bird-elf, lying on her side, her arms folded across her body, the feathers forming a cloak, her violet eyes watching him blearily. Suddenly a strange feeling overwhelmed him as their eyes met, a  
name appearing in his mind as if placed there by some divine hand, 

**Freja**. He shuddered, bringing himself fully awake, aware of what had just happened to him. Recognition. That which his mother and sire had fought so hard to deny. That which could not be denied, as Skydancer's lips parted, whispering a single word, the first word he had ever heard her utter, "Bwynn", he wondered if he would even try.

*

The sun drew herself above the horizon, drenching the land once more with her pale glow. The liquid honey sweeping over the tiny, leaky hut, seeping through the cracks in the branches to shine on the two elves holding each other. Both knew that something more powerful than the both of them had happened that night, but neither had fulfilled it. Yet.**Bwynn,** Skydancer sent, resting her chin on his Windkin's chest.**What does it mean? **

She was so innocent, so seemingly naive, or perhaps her pack did not suffer from recognition the way his did, perhaps this was something new. **It means there will be a child,** he replied, **made of the essence of you and me.**

She ran one hand down his naked chest, her gentle touch tickling him, arousing stirrings in him. **Perhaps I should send the vultures away.** She sent lightly, with the trace of laughter. 

**Perhaps!** Windkin chuckled. **Or perhaps we should leave them to the hut.** Dragging himself out from under her head, he exitted the small hut, and into the bright, dappled sunlight. Skydancer followed shortly after, the vultures, he was unhappy to note, trailing behind her. She turned and waved her hands at them, making louder, more demanding chirping/squawking noises. Eventually the two of them bounced into the air and they flew away. **Foolish birds,** she sent, with no trace of real malice. She turned her violet eyes to Windkin, they were glistening with excitement. Windkin was puzzled himself, he knew what he was compelled to do it, and indeed, had no problem with it, but there was something worrying him. It ws not his love for Ahdri, for that was different, it was the prospect of a cubling. He had no wish to stay here, so far from his home, so far from his friends and family, but he doubted Skydancer would leave with him. He watched as she removed her rough sleeping tunic (for the desert nights were chill) and ran into the warm waters of the tiny lake, the water splashing and beeding on her brown skin like tiny jewels. Suddenly he decided that those problems would work themselves out later, and stripping off, ran into the water after her. As he ran to meet her, he copped a handul of waterspray in the face."Oh you foolish woman," he laughed out loud. He dived below the waist-deep water, grabbing at her ankles. Realising his intent, she made a feeble effort to kick at him and was thrown backwards when he rose from the water just in front of her and pushed her backwards, falling after her. They landed in the water with an almighty splash, him pinning her down like a dominant wolf. It took her but a few seconds to struggle free, wrapping her sodden wing-arms around his neck. 

**Oh Bwynn,** she sent quietly. **How quiet it was before you came here, how dull.**

**Even with the vultures?** He replied, mischievously.

**Even with the vultures.** She replied. **There are some things the companionship of birds cannot satisfy.**

**I should hope not,** he chuckled, trying to walk towards theshore with her clinging to him like an infant treewee. She wrapped her legs around his waist, locking them firmly behind his back, only because of her slight weight, her hollow bones, did he not fall over onto her again. He dragged her across to the solid ground, standing in amongst the overgrown weeds that surrounded the banks of the lake. The bird-elf unlinked her legs from behind Windkin's buttocks and lowered her feet to the ground, pulling him down with her. Laughingly, he splayed across her, the two of them rolling slightly down the gentle slope, almost into the water once more. Her body was so warm, damp from the lake waters, the driplets beeding on her dark skin like tiny jewels. He ran one hand through her long strands of hair, caressing her scalp with his finger tips. She sighed happily, removing a droplet of water from the tip of his nose with her tongue. Around them the birds sang in symphony. He ran his hands over her delicate body, thinking how long it had been since he had last done this, before Ahdri's death. He quickly banished those thoughts from his mind - live for the NOW! The bird-elf embraced him, her dark lips brushing delicately against his as she drew him closer towards her. She ran her finger-nails down his back and rubbed her body against him. Smiling to himself, Windkin let himself sink into the now of wolfthought, enjoying the moment for what it was, the delicate female's body against him. Being engulfed by her warmth, her serenity, ignoring all in the moment of pleasure. His smile widened as the delicate bird-elf arched her back, her finger-nails tearing welts in his back and her wing feathers rubbing lightly against his sides. He had to hold back his mirth as the plumes tickled his delicate skin in a way that was oh so sensual. With his own delicate hands he ran the finger tips across her moist skin, finding the places of pleasure. Listening to her cry out in pleasure and joy. Regretfully it was eventually over, and the two lovers collapsed side by side in the long grass, staring through the branches above and at the sky where the sun was far reaching her scorching zenith. Skydancer rested her head on his lithe chest, grasping him tightly with her wing-hands. She lightly kissed his chest.

**Thank you,** she sent, although it was more with pictures and emotion than actual words. Windkin clung to her, uneager to let her warm body, so fill of vibrance and life, to go, he kissed her lightly again and again, on the eyelids, the cheeks, the neck. He felt her body trember beneath him, as she moved closer into his embrace. He gently kissed her large pointed ears, nibbling them slightly with his teeth. She mumured in delight. They lay together, watching the sun reach higher in the sky, until the heat of the day forced them back into the waters once more. 


	2. Default Chapter Title

_So continues the saga of Windkin and Skydancer. Skydancer and Sunstar (c) Me, Windkin and Elfquest in general (c) Pinis._

For more information on the Windwalkers, visit my homepage (one of many) - [http://members.nbci.com/Sharna"][1] Come here if you are confused!.

# - Silent Dancer (part 2) -

_five years had passed_

The sound of the child's laughter spread out across the still waters, filling the air with the sounds of delight, sounds of life. The vulture fledgling, his feathers still tattered from the nest, still streaked with grey, flapped heavily into the air, crashing talon first beside the withered piece of ravvit hide. He stumbled, flapping clumsily. The golden haired elven child clapped her hands together in delight, her joyous laughter bubbling forth. The immature vulture looked momentarily hurt, then hopped forward to be engulfed by the fledgling elf's wing-arms. Resting his large head on her delicate shoulder, he almost seemed to smile. The child patted his huge beak, such a deadly weapon, yet she knew it was of no risk to her. In the sky above, the great white shape of Wraith circled the clearing. 

Very little had changed in the past few years, aside from the birth of Sunstar, a delicate child who took after her mother in appearance, but her father in the ability to glide to great heights, unlike her mother, who being a windwalker was only able to fly short distances. Sunstar was a golden child, with masses of golden hair, streaked with brown and red. Windkin, whilst remaining a wanderer at heart, had remained with the two bird-elves on and off throughout the previous years, more often here, in this quiet oasis, then not. The days of peace were many, the vultures bred in the cliff tops and the two adult elves spent many a peaceful, if somewhat dull, time. Windkin's reports were alarming however, the humans were making increased use of the burning wastes, for what purpose none of the elves could fathom. He had found the cliffs where Skydancer's people had once lived, until the humans had destroyed them. They were now the site for a rambling human village, a cestpool of noise, pollution, the land had been opened up to be scoured by the elements. All the remnants of the elvish village that had been there had been eliminated. The cliff lay, for Windkin, less than half a days flight away. He feared this pleasant oasis may not offer sanctuary much longer. Alas, he was right.

It was a peaceful day, reaching onto the cool of evening. The birds, released from their daytime shelters, sung cheerfully in the boroughs of the somewhat stunted trees. Sunstar played with her vulture companion, whom she called, for no apparent reason, "Fluffy". His favourite toy was a scrap of rather worn ravvit skin tied to a piece of cord. This he attacked as though it were the real thing. The two of them splashed about joyfully in the shallow waters of the pond whilst on the bank, Skydancer was weaving a basket. The sending was intense and sudden, even though it was from some distance away.

**Humans!** Windkin, returning from a journey to the great forests, where his companions still remained, had run across danger.

**Humans?** Skydancer return send was frightened, the humans had destroyed her people and she feared them like nothing else. 

**A moving house, drawn by zwoots, coming towards you. You must take cover! I will be with you as soon as I can.** 

Skydancer's heart skipped several beats and she stared in horror at her innocent child. Was Sunstar going to be taken from her, as the rest of her family had? She glanced around the oasis that had been her home for nearly a thousand years, a thousand lonely years. Was she finally going to have to leave it, let it destroy itself and all the birds and animals that called it home? Must the horror of humans haunt her for all eternity?  
**How far away are they?** 

**As the glider flies they would be there before dark, on foot, they should reach there soon after nightfall.** 

It was worse that Skydancer had anticipated - soon after nightfall, what chance did she and her child have of setting up anything to detain the humans? Sunstar was just over 3 years old, too young to travel, too young to face death. Yet she had to do something.

Whistling to Wraith and Shadow, the bearded vultures that called the oasis "home", she sent to Sunstar. **Come to mother, little one, we must go and play hiding in the caves.**

Sunstar looked up from her play, she could tell that something was wrong - the traces of fear and worry in her mama's sendings were plain. **What's wrong Mama?** she queried.

**Nothing child, just come here.** Sunstar, dripping wet, rushed up the bank to her mother, throwing herself into her mother's feathery embrace. 

**We must go up into the caves, there is nothing to worry about.**

The child glanced at her suspiciously, so young, but so knowing. **Can Fluffy come too?**

**Of course Fluffy can come,** her mother replied with a chuckle. The fledgling vulture stalked clumsily towards them, shaking his feathers and dowsing them both.

**Stop it Fluffy!** The child scolded, although the bird seemed not to understand her sendings.

Skydancer sent a reply to Windkin. **We are hiding in the caverns, please get back here soon.** The despair was so obvious in her sendings that Sunstar could not help but sense it. The child squeezed her mother tightly.

**We'll be all right won't we mama, and papa too?**

**Of course,** Skydancer carressed her daughters hair. **We will be just fine.**

Darkness enveloped the land like a suffocating blanket. Only the pale light of the two moons drenched the ground in diffuse light. In a tiny hollow formed in the rock "walls" that framed the oasis, huddled Skydancer, Sunstar on her lap and Fluffy lying at their feet, his gangly neck stretched across the bird-elf's feet. There was no sign of Windkin, but his continued sendings alerted them that he was actually following the humans. This was making Skydancer increasingly edgy, she cradled her child and watched the midnight black sky. Night could not be over fast enough!

The glider hovered above the covered wagon. The humans could not see him for they were resting beneath the canopy that shaded them from the sun. The zwoots, animals with broken spirits from enslavement by man, marched ever onwards, seemingly tireless. They paid him no heed whatsoever, probably not even aware of his presence. It was late dusk, fast approaching night, the cool night air invigorating Windkin. He had not left his roosting place until the shadows of late afternoon had stretched, for it was too hot to travel in the heat of the day. The procession was now slowly enroaching on his sanctuary, and at this rate they would arrive shortly after darkness. Suddenly, the caravan stopped, and the glider hesitated in his movement, hoping that darkness would hide their eyes from his form. He had limited nightvision, part of his lupine heritage that had still remained with him after Winnowill had removed his wolf blood. A human figure, relatively young and lithe from the general shape of it, clambered out the front of the wagon and it lit a fire in some type of lamp. Then the zwoots were whipped into movement once more.

*

The caravan, as was feared, reached the oasis around midnight. Inside it the humans were tired and irritable, from days of travelling. It was a family, outcasts from their village, two men, a woman and three youngsters ranging from the ages of five to fifteen. Sentenced to solitude, they had sought to cross the desert in the hope of finding a village that would accept them. Lying in a narrow bed, the five year old boy mumured in his sleep. A rangy dog lay beneath the table, its snores making the fragile walls shake. 

"We shall soon be for rest," a bearded man, the children's father, called to his golden-haired wife from the seat at the front of the wagon. "I can see a rocky outcrop and some sort of plant in the moonlight. There will be water and perhaps food."

His wife nodded, so tired was she of travelling. "Maybe we can camp there a few days," she replied. "It would do the boys good to have some exercise and play."

"Perhaps," she could almost hear his grin. 

**They're almost there** Windkin's alarming sending came to her, disturbing her from a state of near-sleep. 

**We are hidden,** she replied. **With any luck they will stay only until the morn.**

**We can but hope so,** was the glider's somewhat sceptical reply. **We can but hope so.**

*

The rosy fingers of dawn tinged the horizon in a sheen of pinks. Skydancer twitched slightly, feeling the cramp in her limbs ease. On her lap, Sunstar squirmed as she too woke. Fluffy raised his head and let out an irritated squawk. **Shh** Sunstar sent. She had yet to learn the language of the vultures, just as Fluffy had yet to learn her language. **Are they here mama?** She asked.

**Yes my dear, so we must be very quiet.**

Sunstar immediately scrambled of her mother's lap and ran down the short tunnel to look down at the oasis.

**Come back here,** Skydancer was extremely concerned for her daughter's safety.

**Oh mama, I just wanna see what they look like. I won't go out there.**

The fledgling stared down at the oasis, at the bizarre hut on wheels that had halted on the banks of the lake. It was quiet and still, so harmless looking. She wanted desperately to have a closer look at it. Then she saw a familiar shape floating up towards her.

**PAPA!** The sending was so loud it was almost painful, and suddenly Sunstar was gone from the mouth of the cave, gliding to meet her father. Skydancer rushed to the entrance in horror, but calmed immediately as the child flew into Windkin's arms.

**Hello my dear,** he sent, grinning broadly, carrying her back to her mother. **Well, we are safe for now,** he sent to his soul mate. **But how long until they know we're here?**

*

"Are we there now daddy," five year old Sebastion asked, clambering onto his slumbering father. The bearded man awoke instantly.

"Yes my son, now go back to bed, daddy got very little sleep last night and daddy is tired."

"Yes father," Sebastion replied, humbled, he did not like it when his daddy snapped at him. Normally he was kind and gentle and his irritation startled the child. Yet he had no desire to go back to bed, they were there! At last! It made little difference that Sebastion knew not where there was, except that it meant he would be able to actually do something instead of sitting in the tiny caravan and playing by himself or with his older brothers. He had no toys, those had all been left behind when his father and uncle had been forced to leave suddenly. Sebastion had no idea why, had no idea why there were men out there that wanted to hurt his gentle father and his cheerful uncle. 

He quietly pushed open the caravan door and almost cheered aloud at what he saw. Water! A big pond of it! Sebastion had not seen so much water in days. Forgetting his father's order, Sebastion ran outside, stripping off his travel-stained tunic and leggings he ran into the waters. At this early hour, the bitter chill was welcoming to his skin. Above him he barely noticed the dark shape of a bearded vulture, circling about to land in the water. The sudden splash scared him, and he floundered into the middle of the pond, where the water was deceptively deep. Suddenly he found himself sinking under the water.Floundering wildly, unable to swim with any skill, the youngster became very frightened. His splashing scared away the vulture, which flapped out of the water and heavily into the air.

**What is that sound papa?** Sunstar queried, as the three of them sat together in the hollow of the rocks. There was nowhere else to take shelter, nowhere to hide, the oasis was too small for that. Windkin, who was comforting a terrified Skydancer looked about at his child. 

**What noise?** And then he heard it, a floundering, splashing sound, like the vultures bathing. **The vultures?** At that point one of the vultures, Shadow, landed on the rock beside him, its feathers drenched.

Sunstar ran to peer over the edge of the hollow. **Something splashing under the water.**

Windkin froze, glancing over the cliff himself. **I think someone's drowning down there.** He sent, and suddenly he was gone. Skydancer rushed to the edge of the hollow, grabbing her child she stared over the side.

There was definitely something struggling under the water, it appeared to be elf-sized which probably meant it was a child. Did the humans have children with them? Skydancer watched as Windkin swooped low over the water. She called to Shadow in squawks, asking him to watch Windkin. The bearded vulture immediately flapped into the air, gliding down to hover above the lake.

As the glider reached the splashing shape, he realised that it was indeed a child, although a very large child meaning it must be one of the human's cubs. With barely a thought for his own safety, and without a glance at the caravan, he plunged into the water. Somehow the child had managed to find the most treacherous part of the lake, the source of the water, a deep spring that brought cool water deep from below the desert. It was the most appropriate part of a lake to drown in. Cool water caressed his skin, chilling it the deeper he got, unusually cool water for a lake in the desert. The water spraying from the spring gurgled around him, and he had to struggle to stop being forced upwards. If only the child had lain still! Below him he could see the child, floating limply. Was he too late to save it? With the last of his breath he grasped the child firmly as it floated up toward him, buoyed by the currents. The child was small for a human, too young to be playing in springs unwatched. Relaxing, propelling himself upwards with his feet, Windkin half-glided, half-swam to the surface. He exitted the water in a shower of spray, and quickly carried  
the child to the bank. Above him, Shadow circled impressively.

The bird-elf could barely contain the sigh of relief when her soulmate broke the water, carrying with him a limp burden. Such was his dramatic rescue, she could feel the happiness, the love rising in her. For although she knew he did not love her, his heart belonged to one long lost, she could not contain her love for him.

**Mama, look human!** Sunstar sent, pointing at the caravan, and Skydancer drew her eyes away from her lover long enough to notice a human stepping out of the caravan, a large human.

**Bwynn, human!** She urgently sent to Windkin. Windkin paused, having just placed the child on the bank, and glanced at the caravan. She could see he was torn between a fear of humans and wanting to let this man know he had helped them. Suddenly the human shouted something, and all chaos insured.

Sebastion had disturbed Jaison enough to make him uneasy. What if his sondid not go back to sleep? He should probably check. With all the effort of the terminally tired and the yet to fully awake, he had drawn himself out of bed and staggered to the caravan door. The moment he opened the door a horrifying sight met his eyes. Sebastion, his beloved son, lying limp on the lake shore whilst a dripping wet, wingless bird demon crouched over him. The bird demons were legendary in Jaison's previous village - stealers of babes, they were rumoured to be and symbols of ill-luck. It was just lucky that he had disturbed this bird demon after it had knocked out his son but before it had dragged him away to eat, or whatever these demons do. Shouting to his brother to awaken he seized the bow and arrow that sat near the door. Whilst he strained to load it, the bird-demon rose into the air, although it had no wings.

His first shot, whizzed through the air, missing Windkin's leg by a hair's bredth. The second shot was not so lucky though. Jaison's brother, half asleep but still an expert marksman - or maybe just lucky, managed a  
strike. As the point of the arrow buried itself in Windkin's leg, just above the knee, the glider started to lose control. Perhaps it was because of the shock and pain, but whatever the reason, he sunk earthwards for a few feet before managing to maintain his altitude. 

Skydancer, watching the performance below hastily sent to Sunstar **Stay here, and stay down.** After a quick glance to assure herself that Sunstar was going to do as told, Skydancer stretched out her arms and clambered onto the edge of the rock. She had to intervene, the humans had those horrible arrows, the arrows that had slaughtered her people, and if she could distract them enough, maybe Windkin could get away. Shadow also seemed to sense that its friend was in danger, for the great vulture swooped down on the bearded human. Skydancer rose her arms, leaping into the air, feeling the wind beneath her wings providing her with lift. She flapped out in a ragged circle, screaming like a banshee. One of the humans looked upwards, directing his next shot at her. The other one had changed his focus from Windkin to the bearded vulture flapping directly towards him. Skydancer shrieked a warning to Shadow, but whether the big bird heard her, it paid her no heed. The shot was point blank, there was no way the arrow could miss. The force of the shot sent the vulture flying backwards, even though it was no light weight. Feathers floated  
through the air. 

**NO!** Skydancer's sending was so loud and so forceful, that is seemed even the humans recoiled at it. Distracted by the death of her feathered friend, she failed to notice the arrow flying towards her in time enough to dodge it. The pain shot through her left side like hot ice. She staggered, barely stopping herself from plummeting earthwards. There was nothing she could do for the vulture. Its bedraggled corpse lay belly-up on the grassy floor of their haven, her greyish-white feathers tinged with blood. One of the humans, the bearded one, had run over to the fallen child. Windkin took his chance to soar into the air unmolested. As he reached Skydancer, still flapping clumsily in the air, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to the hollow. Warm blood trickled down her side, staining her clothing. As he landed in the hollow, she noticed that he tried to hide the visible wince of pain. Sunstar cowered, clinging tightly to Fluffy and watching her injured parents with huge, worried eyes.

**What happened?** She sent nervously. 

**We must leave, now,** was Skydancer's worried reply. **Before they hunt us down and kill us. Kill us like they killed poor Shadow.**

Windkin nodded, letting out a barely audible noise of pain as he drew the arrow from his leg, thankful it had not penetrated the bone, tearing off a strip of his clothing to bind it. He tried to help his soulmate remove hers, applying pressure around the wound as he slowly withdrew the point from her side. Luckily the arrows had not been barbed, but even then the pain was terrible and the windwalker almost swooned from it. **We must leave,** he sent to Skydancer, **but to be out there, in the wastes at noon, is sure suicide.**

**I understand,** she replied through the pain, though her sending was tinged with it. **But if we stay here, we are as good as dead, but if we leave, we are only likely to die.** 

Already the clean shaven human was scaling the cliff towards them, with his bow slung over his back and a knife at his belt. The humans knew where they were hiding and they were surely doomed if they did not move soon.

As the human, prepared for killing, reached the hollow where they were hidden, he was surprised when four creatures erupted into the air in front of him. So surprised, that he failed to draw his knife in time, and indeed barely managed to stop himself falling off the cliff.

Meanwhile, the three elves, Sunstar and Windkin both gliding on the currents, whilst Skydancer flapped clumsily with them, her smaller, rounder wings not providing the required lift to actually glide, began their hot journey across the burning sands as the sun slowly drifted towards her zenith. Fluffy, the tatty young vulture, followed effortlessly, and a moment later his father slid in quietly from above. 

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	3. Default Chapter Title

_And so concludes Silent Dancer. Usual Disclaimers apply - ElfQuest (c) Pinis, Windwalkers (c) me, etc etc..._

For more information on the Windwalkers, visit my homepage (one of many) - [http://members.nbci.com/Sharna"][1] Come here if you are confused!.

# Silent Dancer : Union

Dreamwolf wandered the jungle. Beside her pranced the playful wolf she had befriended. Looking at him, it was hard to remember the time she had been Sparrow, and he had been a starved, ill beast. Jester was certainly living up to his name, and especially enjoyed playing with the fledglings of the flock. And they all loved him. Sometimes the young healer would take him out here so that he could rest, without constantly being lured into chasing this or that. The wolf however seemed not to understand the meaning if the word "rest". Occasionally, he would go nose down, tracking small forest animals and scaring them into the open. Sometimes Dreamwolf would kill them, but she already had a little rooter and a bush-turkey - there was little more she could carry.   
**Much fun,** Jester sent cheerfully to her. She smiled to herself, merely watching the lupine's capers was enough to cheer her up. It was not a good day for Dreamwolf, although she had become more accepted in the flock since her talent had manifested, there seemed something wrong in the air. Her flock-mates had all been irritable, Hover and Skylark, two of her age-mates had been teasing her, and had teased Jester until he had growled at them. It took a lot to make the gentle wolf growl. It felt good to be alone, with only her trusty friend by her side. Above them the sun hung high in the sky, a great glowing orb of heat, the light filtering through the branches and dappling the ground with flickers.  


*

The sun hung high in the sky, its heat reaching down to emcompass the world and making the dirt steam. Skydancer limped heavily through the air, her hair drenched in sweat. Her clothing was stained with dried blood, and more disturbingly - some wet. Windkin and Sunstar were having little problem with their flight, the young child coping well with the extended flight. Suprisingly well. Fluffy, the child's vulture, glided beside her, the breeze caused by the bird's spasmodic flaps cooling her skin. At least the wind was gentle. Clenching back the pain, the windwalker measured out every stroke of her wingbeats, a searing pain was incurred with each. Her head was beginning to swim, jagged lines intersected her vision. Trying to hide the struggle her flight was from her soulmate and daughter, she struggled along, straggling behind them. Wraith was a welcome relief, as he swooped down from above to flap above her head, slow measured beats, every stroke cooling her damp skin.

**How is the pain, Freja?** Windkin sent to her.

**Bad,** she replied, knowing that she could no more hide the pain in her sendings then swim through sand.

He slowed down, performing an aerobatic turn-about and glide back beside her. She could see he was tiring too, even though he need not flap, the magic that kept him airborne drained him. That was where Sunstar had the advantage, as a windwalker/glider, she did not need to flap her wings to glide, nor did she require energy-expending magic to keep her airborne when the wind beneath her wings helped. But she was a mere fledgling, unused to long flights, and too delicate to withstand the seering heat of the sun. Fluffy, displaying amazing intelligence, had positioned himself beside and slightly above her, so his scruffy bulk shaded her from the sun and the gusts caused by his wingbeats added lift to her wings and acted as air-conditioning.

**We can rest soon,** he replied. **I guide you by the shortest route, soon we shall reach the rainforests.**

Skydancer was too exhausted to reply, the pain, the disrupted vision and the exertion was getting to her. Her wingbeats slowed, and she slowly began to drift downwards. Windkin swooped down to scoop her in his arms. Another advantage the gliders had over the windwalkers - Sunstar, like her sire, need not use her wings to fly and thus could carry something. He was well used to carrying living beings across the Burning Wastes, having saved at least one human child that way. However, as much as he tried to ignore it, the wound in his leg had taken its toll too, and he was in pain and tiring. The lack of water did not help, adding to the exertion. He feared he would not be able to carry Skydancer far. She flung her arms weakly about his neck, and he squeezed her reasurringly.

**Not long now,** he sent, but the emotion in his sending said otherwise. It was very hard to lie with sendings, although some windwalkers had perfected it. 

Sunstar had been disturbingly quiet for the larger part of the flight. Despite having twice the advantage of both her parents, she too was tiring, for she was young. If they did not reach safety soon, they were likely to die out there, in the barren sands.

Windkin could stand it no more, he was so weary that he was starting to hallucinate. He had never crossed the entire span of the desert before, not at midday with no water and definately not carrying the burden of the ever-increasing in weight windwalker. As he was about to give up, drop do the ground with his soulmate and allow the great heat to have her wicked way with him, to be once more united with Ahdri, a spinnacle of rock rose out of the flat landscape before him. A great finger pointed at the heavens. Sending to Sunstar, he managed to struggle down to rest in the shadow it cast, gratefully laying his burden gently on the ground. Skydancer was all but unconscious, but she mumured something in her sleep. Sunstar almost collapsed beside him.

**I'm hungry papa, and so thirsty,** she sent, almost panting like a wolf. **And what's wrong with mama?**

**Mama is very tired,** he replied, as reasurringly as possible. **She was hurt and needs water just like you.** He was trying not to pant himself. His mouth felt as dry as sand, and swallowing was becoming increasingly difficult. Fluffy collapsed in the sand, in a shower of feathers. But Wraith was behaving strangely. The bearded vulture had landed with exhausted dignity and had immediately stalked towards a strange bulbous plant that Windkin had seen about the desert many times, but had forgotten in his fatigued state. As the vulture set about tearing the plant apart with his huge hooked bill, Windkin wearily leapt to his feet.

**Papa will get you a drink my little chick,** he sent, grinning and removed the knife he carried in a leg strap for this very purpose. The water-plant was rare in the desert, but if one become stranded out here, it was the only thing between life and dehydration. Since Wraith had made a mess of one leaf - the young vulture staggered to his feet and helped with the destruction, Windkin attacked another with vengence. He presented the water filled dissection to Sunstar.

**Ick,** she sent, **it is GREEN.**

**And how thirsty are you my little dove?** He queried.

**Very.**

**So why should a little colour make any difference?**

Chuckling at her father, Sunstar hungrily supped on the thick green syrup. **Taste funny,** she sent, handing the leaf back to him, **but is wet, not thirsty anymore.** She paused a moment. **Still hungry though.**

**Do you fancy vulture?** He asked.

She stared at her father in disdain. **You so silly papa.**

Windkin dribbled a little of the moisture from the leaf on his soulmate. **Freja.**

**Bwynn?** She sent tiredly. **So thirsty. So sore.**

**Drink this.** He helped her raise her head and pushed the moisture-holding leaf up against her lips. She sucked on it greedily, almost like an infant with her mother's breast.

When she collapsed back, exhausted even from the effort of drinking, Windkin sucked what was left of the moisture from the leaf. There was precious little, but there was but one remaining leaf, and he did not wich to sentence the plant to death - it might be someone else's salvation in the future. Seeing the vultures had chewed the remainder of their leaf into a pulp, eating the flesh, he chewed on a piece of it himself. The taste of the syrup was slightly bitter, but this was much worse, sharp, acrid, although moisture flowed down his throat. Grimacing he spat the pulp out.

Several hourse passed, the sun moved across the sky, turning her intensity away from them.  
**Feeling better?** He sent to his family. It had taken him a long time to get into the practice of not talking verbally.

Sunstar nodded. **Yessir,** she sent brightly. **Still hungry though.**

He smiled at her enthusiasm, such a bright, easy-going child. She was everything he could want in a pup. **We shall eat when we reach the forest,** he sent, tweaking her nose. She laughed and swotted at his hand. In such a barren, deadly place, the laughter of a child was a beautiful thing indeed. **Freja?** He asked.

Skydancer had fallen on her injured side, the binding had come lose and the ground beneath her was turning gradually red. **Leave me,** she sent. **I cannot continue. Make sure my little Sunstar is safe.**  
**I cannot leave you!** He replied, shocked at the suggestion, **I ...** he hesitated for a moment, **really care for you.**

Skydancer sighed inside to herself. It was too much she ask that he love her, but how it would make her better if he did. She could not go on, for she was too tired, but at least she would die happy. **You must. You must leave before you need more water.** She paused, wondering if she should confess her feelings, **I love you Bwynn,** she sent.

Windkin ran one hand down her face. He hesitated, as if in some sort of inner battle with himself. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, her lips, tasting the saltiness of her sweat, the dampness of her tears - tears that evaporated as he watched. **You cannot die,** he sent vehemontly. **I cannot let you, I** he faltered, then picked up the string again, **I love you.** He sent finally, and realised that he did. Maybe not as he had Ahdri, not with the same intensity and passion, but with something else. Tears trickled down his cheeks. Was he doomed to lose everyone he loved?

**Thank you,** Skydancer replied, her body convulsing slightly. He had not realised how badly she had been injured, her strength had disguised her condition. She was dying, and he knew it, the blood-soaked sand pointed directly at it. How could she die now? When he had finally realised what she meant to him. Finally recovered from the lingering pain of Ahdri's death to love again! Only to lose it again straight away. One hand weakly grabbed his arm, giving it a weak, but heart-felt squeeze. As it dropped away, taking with it the rise and fall of Skydancer's bosom, Windkin became consumed by his grief. Choked with his pain, he collapsed across her still warm, yet empty, body, his tears dissolving into the sand.

Perhaps he would have stayed there hours, never to move again, if it were not for Sunstar. She tugged on his hair. **What's wrong with mama?** She asked.

Windkin paused, broken from his grief. How do you explain death to a child who has no concept of it? **She's gone,** was the best reply he could give.

**Gone, but she's right there. Can't you see her?**

The glider would have laughed if he had not been so grief stricken. **That is just her body,** he sent, realising that as intelligent as she was she would probably not understand him, **what is inside her, the real her, has gone.**

Looking baffled, Sunstar asked the obvious - **where?**

**The Palace of the High Ones,** he replied, **where all the other dead elves go.** He almost cried again on the word "dead".

**So she will be with her mama now,** Sunstar stated, and Windkin turned from his dead lover to his daughter. He squeezed her tightly.

**Yes,** he replied - trust a child to bring his thoughts into perspective. **She will be.**

He turned from the dead and took his daughter's tiny hand in his. He had to go on, if only so another he loved did not die out here too. Wraith was gently nudging Skydancer with his beak, as if begging her to move. The glider remembered what his wolf-rider kin were like with their dead, and assumed the vulture would behave in the way the wolves would - reuniting their companions with the wild. Wraith would stay here. The desert was his home. His mate was dead and his elf-friend too. He glanced at Fluffy. The smaller, tattered bird approached them, as though aware they were close to departure. Together the three of them left to continue on their journey.

*

The sun was sinking now, it was late afternoon. Dreamwolf had not returned yet to her flock, she had been struck by the solitude-lust that often engulfed her kind - the desire to be alone with the wind and the open skies. And of course their animal friends. No matter how strong the solitude-lust, Dreamwolf would never be without her Jester. The bond between them was so strong she was the envy of her fellows, none of them could understand their animal-friends as well as she could, not without having special talents. And Dreamwolf could sense that Jester was edgy. They were nearing the edge of the jungle now, the trees were thinning out, becoming less lush, more wind-struck. It did not matter where the went, Dreamwolf could not get lost in the company of the lupine. Jester paused, his orange eyes scanning the landscape and his mane hairs rising slightly. Something was definately amiss. Suddenly he darted away, letting out a short, sharp bark. He almost never barked. Half running, half flying, the elf ran after him, bush-turkey and rooter beating against her back. 

The comical looking eagle bird glared at the huge golden wolf, raising its wings and feathers in an effort to look larger. Jester moved closer, trying to sniff it and narrowly avoided a bitten nose.

**Elves, Raya.** The wolf sent to her. **Strange elves and funny bird.**

It took Dreamwolf a few seconds to reach the place he had met his new "friend". She ignored Jester and the bird, searching for the elves he had spoken of. It did not take her long. They half sat, half lay, in the undergrowth, a sun-reddened wingless one and a darkskinned, golden haired child. The wingless one looked up wearily to meet her eyes.

**Greetings,** he sent, with some surprise evident in his sending. **We would be ever so grateful if you could give us some water.**

They must have crossed the desert, in the heat of the day no less! She could see the blood-stained rag tied about the male elf's leg, and the child seemed almost unable to keep her eyes open. But who were they? The child was too darkskinned to be of her flock and the adult had no wings! Why were the two of them travelling together? Where had they come from? But the questions would wait. Her water-skin was half empty, but she approached them with it anyway. If they had crossed the desert, any relief would be good. After a moment's pause she proffered them the rooter too.

**I am a healer,** she informed them both, **with your permission I would heal the injury on your leg. I am afraid I can do nothing for your exhaustion except offer you this food and water.**

The adult elf smiled at her as he accepted her offerings. There was a weariness to his features not caused by physical exertion, he looked emotionally tired too. **Please do.** He sent to her, **my name is Windkin and this is Sunstar, my daughter.** He glanced at Jester, who had managed to scare the vulture into the air by lunging at it. **And that, is a vulture called Fluffy, do not ask me why.**

**Greetings Windkin,** Dreamwolf replied formally. **They call me Dreamwolf, I am a healer for Goldflash's windwalker flock. I would be most grateful if, once healedand refreshed, you would accompany me to our roost - although you may have to sleep in my perch, as the rest are somewhat above the ground.** She put one hand on his wounded leg, stripping away the binding to study the wound. How he had walked across the desert with such a deep injury she did not understand, for it appeared to have suffered little strain at all. Perhaps it had been incurred more recently? Or perhaps they had not crossed the desert at all. So many questions! Her healing magic entered the wound, finding the pink strands of light that were torn ligaments, skin and muscle, knitting them together again. She had been praticing her skills well - no longer did the healing effort make her faint. She still felt light-headed however. The child appeared uninjured, and had been very quiet.

**Mama's gone,** the child sent to her, as though aware of her attention, and Dreamwolf realised there was a huge story here to tell. 

**Come,** she sent, **if you are able to walk, let us head for my roost afore it becomes dark and the nightprowlers come out.**

The elf called Windkin stood up, leaning gingerly on his wounded leg, and then putting his foot down firmly when he realised it was largely healed. He picked up the exhausted child, boosting her onto his shoulders. 

**For now we shall walk,** he sent, and Dreamwolf wondered what he meant.

Jester darted over, forgetting his new friend in his desire to get acquainted with these ones. Fluffy flapped along behind them, too large to travel shoulder-roost.

The trip to the roost-place was uneventful, although Hover and Skylark, out hunting, were surprised when the procession passed them by. So surprised in fact that they forgot to tease Dreamwolf. Jester's welcoming grin told them they were forgiven. Even Chieftess Goldflash was delighted by the new visitors, for it had been many, many years since the cliff dwellers and jungle dwellers had seen each other. She was however devastated by the destruction of her sister-flock, and the death of her distant cousin.

**Disaster has united us once more,** she sent to her flock, with a sad smile. **You cannot keep windwalkers away from each other forever.**

Sunstar missed all of this, she was sleeping in Dreamwolf's ground hollow, lying against the gentle wolf with her vulture friend in her arms. 

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End file.
